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Tag: the face shop

Hello, my lovely beauties! Today I’m coming to you with a review of my first ever sun stick! When I started my journey with k-beauty not only were k-beauty products largely unavailable in the part of the world where I live, that is, Europe, but there was no sight of face sunscreen in any other form than a cream. I’ve been keeping an eye on sunscreen in a stick for quite a while but I decided to purchase one only fairly recently. Why? The sun sticks have been relatively expensive in comparison to many sun creams and they have largely been made with chemical sun filters which don’t work very well with my skin- that’s why I always opt for sunscreens with physical filters (I ordered a few new physical sunscreens this week so keep an eye on this space as I’ll post reviews of them this month). But! I finally found a sunscreen stick that contains only physical filters (The Face Shop Natural Sun Eco Inorganic Sunscreen Stick SPF 50+ PA +++) and I’m just about to share my thoughts on it with you. ❤

About the product

The simplest way to describe this product is to say that it’s a sunscreen that comes in a stick (wow). And I could actually stop here. But, according to the packaging in which my sunscreen came, this The Face Shop Natural Sun Eco Inorganic Sunscreen Stick not only ”features inorganic [that is, physical] UV filters but also Calamine powder which helps to calm the skin” and ECOCERT certified Sunflower Seed Oil (for moisturization, I suppose). It doesn’t contain animal-derived ingredients, parabens and was dermatologically tested. But that’s pretty all about the product.

In terms of the ingredients, the matter is more complicated. To this post, I usually approached the ingredients lists of the products I bought in the way that I would approach any other European food/beauty product where the ingredients are placed in the order of their predominance in a product. So when I saw something as a fourth/fifth/sixth ingredient, I would think that there’s quite a bit of it in the product. However, recently I came across a few posts, fanserviced-b.com and theklog.co among them, that talk about the differences between the US and Korean ingredients lists. I’m not going to go deeper into that topic now, because that’s not what the post is about, but the key takeaway is that anything in 1% or below in a Korean skincare/beauty product can be listed on the ingredients list in ANY order. Which means that, although the first three or four ingredients (probably) may predominate in the product, anything from half down to the bottom of the list may come in various amounts and if something is higher up on it doesn’t mean there’s more of it in the cosmetic. This is something I learnt only quite recently and it makes me feel like a fool, to be honest with you. There were so many times when I bought a Korean skincare product only because the ingredients list looked really well. I suppose, those products’ formulations weren’t something I thought they were. But, there we go- we can only learn from our mistakes (PS. European skincare/beauty products have to list all the ingredients in a descending order of their concentration in a product- so what’s the last is the least (source here)).

But getting back to the ingredients of The Face Shop Natural Sun Eco Inorganic Sunscreen Stick- I can only be partially certain that the first few ingredients at the beginning are in the highest concentration in the sun stick and those are: Butylene Glycol, Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide. The last two are physical UV filters that effectively deal with both types of UV rays- UVA and UVB. The rest of the ingredients may be placed in any order and God only knows how much of each ingredient in the stick- including the ECOCERT certified Sunflower Seed Oil and Calamine powder. So even though the product’s description stresses the product contains those two ingredients, it’s certainly possible that there’s less than 1% of each of them in the sunscreen, making me think that whether or not the sun stick contains them, doesn’t really matter- their ”positive” effect on my skin would be so minuscule that I would see no difference. (◔_◔)

According to CosDna and Skincarisma, the ingredients list as the whole is relatively clean and safe. There’s one silicone (Dimethicone) and Butylene Glycol that have a comedogenic rating of 1 (quite low) and there’s also Fragrance in it. Skincarisma also adds that the Sunflower Seed Oil can trigger fungal acne so I’m really not convinced that this ingredient should be so praised in the product’s description. (〜￣ △￣)〜

The sunscreen’s texture is interesting, though. It’s white and very solid with a kind of floral scent. The sun stick is quite small (20g half of which is probably the weight of the packaging itself) but very convenient to hold. To get it out there’s a thingy at the bottom (for the lack of a better word for it) to turn. The stick’s surface is rectangular with rounded corners, relatively wide. The surface’s shape, however, makes it quite difficult to apply the sunscreen in places where precision is needed such as around the eyes. And the texture of the sun stick makes it really difficult to glide at the beginning- once there’s one layer of it the stick rolls easily but to get there, you have to be careful not to stretch the skin too much (again, especially around the eyes). Upon application, the sunscreen leaves only a slight white cast but it does have a shiny finish which drove me crazy- my face shined as if it’d produced tons of sebum. But, but, all of the ranting in the section below.

My thoughts

And now, finally, here comes the time for my ranting. Let’s start off with the positives, though, because I feel like this The Face Shop Sunscreen Stick deserves that. What I liked about it is the hands-off experience you get with it. No need to make your hands dirty with the sunscreen (or a beauty sponge if you’re like me and apply a sun cream with it most of the time) and no need to make your hands clean before you can make them dirty. Which saves time, water (you have to wash your hands before and after the application) and doesn’t put you off when it comes to the sunscreen re-application. I loved that aspect of this product. I could just grab the stick, roll it out and put it on my face. What I also liked about it was that it contained ONLY physical/inorganic UV filters. Which meant broad and solid UV protection and my eyes didn’t sting which often happens when the chemical filters start to come off my face when I use chemical sunscreens. However! That’s where the good ends.

The bad. Oh, the bad. First, let me say that the ingredients list wasn’t anything impressive. Although it doesn’t reflect the ingredient concentration, it does reflect what’s in the product. And apart from the two UV filters and the Calamine powder, there’s really nothing skin-enhancing in it (I don’t think the Sunflower Seed Oil is good, especially not for my sensitive skin). I’ve tried much better sunscreens in that respect.

Another thing, the application process, although partly extremely convenient, was at the same time nightmarish. The stick didn’t want to glide easily at the beginning so I had to put multiple layers of it to be sure I spread it properly- I didn’t want to stretch my skin too much so every time I started the application process very gently and always thought I didn’t cover my face with it evenly. After the first application in the morning, there’s wasn’t much of a white cast left and no white streaks either. Just the shiny effect (which, by the way, made my skin imperfections more prominent). But upon first, second, third re-application my face looked worse and worse. Whiter, with more shine and more and more streaks with every re-application, so that at the end of the day I look as if I saw a ghost and sweat like a pig. Sorry for such a comparison, but that’s the only one that came to my mind. To add to all of that, I love the idea of a having a sunscreen in a stick, but I don’t think it’s very hygienic unless you wash your face before every application- I noticed a variety of pollutants stuck on my stick (nothing major but visible nonetheless) which I think, in the long run, would break me out. But that long run probably won’t happen since after 1.5 I used quite a lot of it. I stopped using it for a while but as I return to it, in the next one or two weeks I should be run out of it.

Those would all my thoughts (at the moment) on this innovative The Face Shop Natural Sun Eco Inorganic Sunscreen Stick. I liked some aspects of it but I disliked the rest which, to be honest, were in the majority. I certainly won’t repurchase this particular sunscreen stick but I’m in love with the idea of using a sun stick in general, so I’ll keep looking for a better sunscreen in this form. Till next time!

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I’ve been using this The Face ShopNatural Sun Eco Power Long-Lasting Sun Cream for years now and I can honestly say it’s one of my favourite sun protection products of all times. There are a lot of reasons for that, and I’m gonna touch on each and one them below. I hope you enjoy reading! ❤

About the product

The packaging of this Face Shop Natural Sun Eco Power Long-Lasting Sun Cream (ufff, what a long name) describes the product’s design very succinctly:

This long-lasting water-resistant sun cream filters and screens both UVA and UVB rays. The smooth cream comes in a natural beige shade with matter finish that can be used as a long-wearing colour correcting foundation primer.

The Face Shop sunscreen is water-resistant (I checked it in the all-raining North West England and that claim definitely holds true) and not only guards against the UV rays and the damage they cause but also can serve as a makeup base as it corrects skin tone and minor imperfections. The packaging also adds that the sunscreen doesn’t contain animal-derived ingredients and contains ECOCERT Certified Sunflower Sprout Extract (600µg).

Packaging, Ingredients and Texture

The sunscreen comes in a golden-matte box with some orange bits and a tube of the same colour. When it comes to the tube itself, I’ve never had any problems with squeezing the cream out. However, due to the cap, it’s a bit heavier than other tube sun creams I’ve tried and reviewed here. So even though it comes in a 50ml tube (1.69 US fl. oz.) just like the goodal sunscreen, for example, it weighs a bit more which in turn may impact the shipping price if you combine it with other products in your shopping cart.

In terms of the ingredients, the sun cream contains two physical and two chemical UV filters- Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide (physical/mineral), and Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate and Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid (chemical). Combined, they all provide broad-spectrum sun protection and because there are only two chemical filter in the cream, the risk of skin irritation is lowered. I always go for mineral sunscreens as in the past every chemical sun cream I tried broke me out or stung my eyes.

The Face Shop sunscreen also contains some skin-friendly extracts such as the already mentioned Sunflower Sprout Extract, Vanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract and Panthenol. However, there are quite a few yellow-rated ingredients and Fragrance. Nevertheless, the sun cream has never broken me out and has worked well on my skin since the very beginning.

When it comes to the texture, the cream feels quite heavy but it’s easy to spread and doesn’t leave any white cast. It’s beige-like in colour which is quite unusual for a sunscreen with physical filers and may seem more like a BB cream than a usual sunscreen. However, it’s still a sun cream with broad UV protection and so the foundation-like effect is just a bonus and not the main purpose of the cream. Upon application the suncream blends in really well with a slightly dewy (but not oily) finish, leaving no white streaks.

My thoughts

This The Face Shop Natural Sun Eco Power Long-Lasting Sun Cream certainly has its pros and cons. For some those cons may outweigh the pros and they wouldn’t purchase it. However, for me it’s the pros that definitely outweigh the cons and I love how well this sunscreen has proved to work for my skin.

Pros: * it leaves minimal to none white cast. Blends in really well and the skin colour is just this bit enhanced. The manufacturer claims that it conceals small imperfections and that’s certainly true indeed. But no miracles, of course.

* it’s long-lasting- provides long and broad-spectrum protection against the sun with the mixture of physical and chemical filters that didn’t break me out. And it’s water-resistant which really comes in handy in a rainy North West England.

* it doesn’t break out or irritate the skin- at least it didn’t in my case. Physical sunscreens (Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide) generally rarely cause skin irritation- that’s why people with sensitive skin (me) opt for sunscreens with physical filters. But even the chemical filters didn’t cause me any irritation which happened to me with sunscreens which contained only chemical filters.
* it contains a few (not many though) skin-friendly ingredients (the mentioned above Panthenol, Vanilla Fruit Extract, etc.)

* it’s relatively affordable, although it depends on from where you buy – I bought my first tube on eBay for less than £10 if I remember correctly, and was lucky enough not to have come across a fake.

Cons:

* it’s hard to get rid of if you don’t double cleanse. I always use cleansing wipes and a cleansing oil to break down the waterproof barrier, followed with a cleansing cream/gel/foam to get my skin cleansed thoroughly. It may sound like a long cleansing routine but I got used to it quite quickly and so it’s stopped bothering me. And because the practice makes a master, I got quite fast at cleansing.

* it doesn’t contain that many skin-friendly ingredients and there are quite a few yellow-rated ones.

* upon application, you have to wait about 15-20mins before heading outside to ensure the chemical filters work properly (with mineral filters there’s no need to wait). Also, for the first few minutes the skin is a bit oily, and so waiting it out lets that oily shine transform into a dewy finish.

* although the sun cream doesn’t leave white streak or white cast, it still needs to be spread it evenly and patted to make it blend well; otherwise it will be noticeable you’re wearing a cream, especially if you put on quite a considerable amount of it (like I always do).

Conclusion

I like this The Face Shop sun cream a lot. It’s far better than most sunscreens I’ve tried so far. I like the fact that it conceals small imperfections without looking like real makeup (although I’m continuously working on my skin to make look better and not have to conceal even those small imperfections; although constant stress rather exacerbates than improves my skin. At this rate I’m gonna look 60 when I’m 30.). I also appreciate the water-resistant aspect of the sunscreen which works great for me as in the North West England I’m in constant danger of contact with rain and I often forget to bring an umbrella with me. The sun cream also doesn’t make my skin dry which my dry and sensitive skin is extremely grateful for. Although without regular re-application my face can start to look a bit too oily/shiny which on some days is quite bothersome for me- at work I don’t always have time to re-apply it.

The Face Shop Natural Sun Eco Power Long-Lasting Sun Cream may not be perfect but it’s one of the best sunscreens I’ve come to contact with. Would I purchase it again? I already did, so many times.

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AUTHOR: Blue

If you’d like to have your review featured on the website as well, just send me an email on email.kbeauty.reviews@gmail.com. I’ll be more than happy to publish it here. ^.^

The Face Shop Herb Day Cleansing Cream with Green Tea Review

And here it comes- the other k-beauty product review which I mentioned a few posts back. So today’s post is going to be all about The Face Shop Herb Day Cleansing Cream with Green Tea. Here it goes.

Claims

According to RoseRoseShop,The Face Shop Herb Day Cleansing Cream with Green Tea is supposed to be ‘effective in skin cleansing’ while leaving ‘mild touch feel’. I couldn’t find anything more about the cream and what it’s supposed to do but I guess that’s understandable since its main purpose is to clean the face effectively. In My thoughts, I’m checking this lonely claim against the reality.

Packaging

Surprisingly for me, I bought this cleansing cream in a brick-and-mortar store TKMaxx. It cost me £4.99 so I saw it as a great bargain and didn’t hesitate even for a second to purchase it. The cream itself comes in this:

It’s in a beige round plastic packaging as the photos show and inside, there’s a thin plastic lid that provides additional protection for the cream. It’s easy to open and quite convenient in terms of storing it as it’s quite flat and sealed properly so I haven’t been afraid to move it around or store it in lots of weird positions.

Ingredients and Texture

In terms of ingredients, it contains mineral oil (quite a lot of it since it is listed as second on the ingredients list) which is supposed to help remove the (waterproof) makeup and any dirt left on the face. Because of that it can be used as a first step in the cleansing routine and may replace a makeup remover/cleansing oil/cleansing balm. There are also a few plant extracts (most notably Green Tea Extract and Sage Leaf Extract) to nurture the skin which I really like- normally cleansers are designed only to cleanse and that’s their primary aim so they rarely contain anything ‘extra’ that enhances the skin’s condition.

When it comes to texture, the cleansing cream is whitish and reeeeally soft and easy to spread. It also contains small granules but there are too few of them to make it feel like a face scrub.

There’s quite a lot of it in the packaging as well and it’s lasted for over three weeks for me. That’s a long time, really, taking into account that I’ve cleansed with it not only my face but also my neck (front and back).

My thoughts

I really like this cleansing cream. It’s got a nice ingredients list, it’s long-lasting, easy to spread and (most importantly) it’s really affordable. However, it’s got one big downside- it’s not as effective in removing makeup as I expected it to be. Before I bought it, I read a few reviews of it and some of them claimed that it takes quite a bit of massaging it on the face to get rid of all the makeup. I didn’t want to believe it (as it contains mineral oil as a second ingredient so it should be pretty effective, I thought) and decided to check it myself. So after buying it, I did an experiment. I put some regular mascara, lipgloss and long-lasting lipstick at the back of my hand to see how effectively it would remove them. Here are the pictures:

Straight afterwards I put on the cleansing cream and, after about 3-4 minutes of rubbing (if not more), I finally got rid of most of the makeup. I finished with wiping the cream off with a cleansing wipe.

So it did manage to remove the makeup. I’m not sure how it’d deal with waterproof sunscreen I usually wear on its own, because whenever I used it in my evening routine, I used a face exfoliator straight after using the cleansing cream so in the end my face was thoroughly cleansed. I think that it’d be hard to use the cream as the only cleanser against the waterproof makeup as it may leave some frustrating residues.

So- did it live up to its claims? Is it an ‘effective’ cleanser? It definitely does its job when you keep messaging it on your face for at least 3-4 minutes (or more, depending on how much and what kind of makeup you’re wearing). But supplementation in the form of other cleanser is advised as, although it may remove the makeup at the end of the day, it still leaves a feeling your face is not thoroughly cleansed.

It’s a mild cleanser though so a proper nod to the claim of its ‘mild touch’. It didn’t break me out or result in an irritation of any kind. And, in the end, I got to like it quite a bit. But I wouldn’t repurchase it. It’s not perfect and I’d rather buy something more effective. So I’ll keep looking for something better and equally affordable.